Friction behaviors of 6061 aluminum alloy sheets in hot stamping under dry and lubricated conditions based on hot strip drawing test

Abstract A high-temperature tribometer based on hot strip drawing was developed and the coefficients of friction between 6061 aluminum alloy sheets and tools at 300°C–500 °C under dry conditions were measured. The microfriction morphology was observed by both a 3D optical microscope and scanning electron microscope to analyze the friction mechanism. The results showed that the average COF under dry conditions increased with temperature and changed the primary friction mechanism from abrasive to adhesive friction. Furthermore, the COFs under the lubrication of graphite, MoS2, and BN at 300°C–500 °C were also tested. According to the results, graphite exhibited excellent lubrication ability with a low COF value of 0.09–0.17. Additionally, the lubrication ability remained unaffected by the hot strip temperature.